


A Very Vongola Christmas

by WaiiKitsune



Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: Christmas Drabbles, Gen, Reborn is his usual scheming self, but the Tenth Gen love the First Gen more than they admit, excess abuse of time travel implied
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-18
Updated: 2015-12-25
Packaged: 2018-05-07 09:28:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 6,632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5451734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WaiiKitsune/pseuds/WaiiKitsune
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Your challenge for this year… is to find a present for your respective First Generation Guardian counterpart."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Day 0 ― Rainbow Insanity

_It all started one week ago…_

_Reborn called us—that is, myself and all the Guardians—together for a 'briefing', as he called it._

_Christmas was in one week, so I had a pretty good idea what he wanted us to do, but I still got shocked anyway. (Ten years, and Reborn still scares me. Someone help me…)_

_Anyway, apparently, Reborn said the 'Dreaded Word'—yes, it deserves the capitalization and the quotation marks, thank you very much– 'Vongola-style'._

_This is what he said:_

" _Since we've shifted the Vongola Christmas Party to the 24_ _th_ _, we are going to have a private Christmas dinner on the 25_ _th_ _, Vongola-style. On top of the usual presents you will get, you have an additional challenge. Your challenge for this year… is to find a present for your respective First Generation Guardian counterpart."_

_Let me make things clearer._

_Every year, for Christmas, we host a Christmas Party for the Mafia. For some reason or another, that was shifted to the 24_ _th_ _, so we have the 25_ _th_ _free. We decided on having a private dinner that night; only ourselves—the Tenth Generation—plus the First and Ninth Generation and Reborn. I suggested inviting the First Generation, because they've helped us a lot and we're all pretty close with them, really. Also because they apparently figured out how to conjure up a corporeal form for themselves –with abilities that include, beside the obvious, being able to eat._

_(Not that they know about the dinner; we're planning to call on them right before dinner as a surprise―we covered the rings with the Mammon Chains when we discussed this, so they couldn't spy on us.)_

_So, as per usual, Reborn is looking to… 'spice things up', 'Vongola-style'._

_And so we're stuck finding presents for, on top of each other, for our First-Generation counterparts. Meaning, I have to give Primo something, and Gokudera to G, and so on and so forth._

_You'd think that that's nothing, right? Just more people to look for presents for._

_**Wrong.** _

_It's simple, really._

_Tell me this._

_What do you give to people who_ _**are already dead** _ _? (Abilities to use things like normal, living humans aside?)_

… _Stupid Reborn._

_But I guessed we somehow made it between the paperwork and missions. (I overheard the guards. They said it was getting hilarious how we're rushing in and out of the estate in the past seven days.)_

_I'm honestly not sure how Primo is going to react._

_I mean, I'm not even sure my gift is going to work! (I really pray that it does; Reborn will_ _**murder** _ _me if I fail to give Primo a present—even if said man doesn't mind.)_

_Time to pull out the old Modus Operandi, I guess. Jump into the fire headfirst and hope I don't burn._

_Hoo―_

"Oh, and by the way. You are allowed to present your gift anytime this week, whenever you're ready. The deadline is the Christmas Dinner on the 25th. Anyone who misses the deadline will be treated to a very memorable bonding session, courtesy of the Arcobaleno."

― _rah._


	2. Day 1 ― Rainy Tunes

For Yamamoto Takeshi, finding a Christmas gift for his predecessor was less of a  _'what'_ , and more of a  _'how'_.

When Reborn had issued the impossible challenge, the two things that snapped into Yamamoto's mind were  _'swordplay'_ and  _'music'_. It didn't take him very long to cross out  _'swordplay'_ and settle on  _'music'_ —after all, despite his dedication and loyalty to Tsuna and the Vongola Famiglia, Yamamoto's passion for baseball never burned out, and the Rain Guardian knew it had to be the same for Asari. (It helped, of course, when Tsuna would regularly assign him  _'missions'_ to guest-coach the NamiChuu baseball team.)

With music decided, it was obvious what, in particular, Yamamoto was getting. The problem was getting the  _ **perfect**_  gift, because Asari Ugestsu deserved that.

' _Well,'_  Yamamoto thought.  _'Guess it's time to use Vongola's secret weapon.'_

* * *

"In case you have been unaware," an unamused, gravelly voice spoke. "I am a  _metal_ craftsman. A craftsman of  _weapons_ , in fact. More importantly, I am quite certain it is exceedingly well-known that I only answer to the heads of the Vongola Famiglia whom I acknowledged." There was a pause, presumably because the man had to take a deep breath for the sake of renewing his diminishing mental strength, before the same voice continued. "It goes without saying that you are, quite obviously,  _not_ a Don of Vongola, much less one I acknowledged."

"Yep."

"Vongola Rain Guardian, have you heard a single word I've said thus far?"

"Every word, Talbot, sir." Yamamoto replied in his usual cheerful tone, yet still managing to sound extremely respectful of the elder. "Would it help my case if I said I didn't come here empty-handed?"

Talbot sighed in response, muttering something about  _'stubborn Vongola; all the same'_ under his breath before finally relenting. The Vongola Rain Guardian beamed happily and proceeded to explain the situation.

"Reborn gave us an assignment to give the first generation a Christmas gift, so I thought of giving Asari a—" Yamamoto paused abruptly, glancing down at his Vongola Ring and ensuring that he had a Mammon chain on. "—flute. I did my research in the Vongola database; the flute that Asari had sold off was a kind of Japanese flute called  _Ryūteki_ , a transverse type bamboo flute…—"

Talbot watched in mild interest as Yamamoto's cheerful tone slowly evened out to a calm, serious tone the more he talked about the results of his research. In fact, when the Rain Guardian pulled out a rather impressive schematic of the flute in question, complete with the exact bamboo and coating used, Talbot had raised an eyebrow behind his shaded googles. As it was, said eyebrow rose even more than what he had thought was possible when Yanamoto pulled out what looked like a block of the bamboo required for the flute.

"—and I asked Shoichi what was the appropriate amount of material needed for a flute of that size and this is what he told me…" Yamamoto trailed off questioningly when Talbot raised a hand, palm out towards him.

"Your thorough efforts have been noted, Vongola Rain Guardian. I can see that this was not a meagre attempt to complete the former Arcobaleno's task, and that you sincerely wish to gift your predecessor with a gift to his utmost liking." Talbot spoke slowly. "In lieu of your efforts, I will make an exception and lend you a hand."

Yamamoto's face lit up like a Christmas tree. "Thank you, Talbot!" He bowed at the waist. "Umm, I'll need this by Christmas…"

"You underestimate me, boy." Talbot snorted. "Leave the materials and schematics, reacquaint yourself with the town and come back in three hours with an offering."

* * *

" _Is something the matter?"_ Asari enquired politely as he materialised into the Rain Guardian's office after being summoned by his successor. He took a quick glance of the room, noting that the two Guardians were alone in the room (with the young Don Vongola nowhere in sight), and that there seemed to be nothing of the urgent nature.  _"There doesn't seem to be anything wrong…"_

"Oh, nothing is wrong with Vongola itself." Yamamoto explained quickly. "Umm…" He reached into his desk drawer to pull out a long, wooden case that had a Rain-blue ribbon tied neatly around it. "Here. I'm not sure if you celebrate it, but… Merry Christmas, Asari-san."

" _Thank you, Yamamoto Takeshi."_ Asari's smile turned (dare he say) mischievous.  _"This wouldn't have anything to do with the rumours circulating in the rings lately…?"_

"Well, yes and no…?" Yamamoto cringed at his  _own_ answer and decided to simply explain the situation from start to end. "That said, I really do hope you like your present…?"

_"This is exquisite,"_  Asari remarked quietly.

He had been busy teasing his successor about the circumstances of the gift to properly look at it, but right now Asari could tell the amount of effort that went into it. The flute felt natural in his hands, as though it was that very same flute he held so long ago. Under Yamamoto's curious gaze, Asari gently lifted the flute to his lips and let out a soft breath, humming in satisfaction at the beautiful note.

_"This… is perfect."_ Asari breathed.

"I'm glad." Yamamoto smiled. "You can't bring it back with you, but I already have a space for you in the office." He gestured to a spot on the cabinet nearest to his desk. "You can retrieve it from there whenever you like. The box is coded with the Rain flame's signature, so there's should be virtually no one but us who can touch it.

_"Thank you, Yamamoto Takeshi."_ Asari said again.  _"Your gift has been most wonderful and completely appreciated."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guest appearance by Talbot (whose character I probably butchered)! Yamamoto's gift was obvious from the start, because what could be better than a flute for Asari? And yes, self-indulgent HC that the Vongola Rings has this common space where the First Gen gather to gossip about their successors (just imagine G bitching to Giotto about his successors over the years). 
> 
> That's all for today. Ciao ciao~


	3. Day 2 ― Cloudy, Dusty Past

Surprisingly, despite the annoyance he felt at the challenge, Hibari Kyouya did not feel an immediate urge to throttle anyone for it.

That did not, however, mean he knew what to do about the challenge. As much as he would like the ignore it completely, he had a distinct feeling that the former infant would not let the issue go, and that would be even more annoying than completing the challenge itself. He had, it seems, no choice but to allow himself to be pulled into the former infant's antics (as usual).

It was a full day after the issue of the challenge when Tsuna called Hibari into his office about an emergency mission. What was interesting was that right before the Vongola Decimo had dismissed his Cloud Guardian, he had dropped a rather out-of-the-blue remark.

(Later, when Hibari figured out what to do for the challenge, he refused to admit that it was due to the omnivore's remark.)

_"Hey Kyoya, did you know that the first Vongola Cloud Guardian was actually the very first head of CEDEF? He founded it at Primo's request."_

* * *

Right before he left for his mission, Hibari had ordered Kusakabe to hunt down every single blueprint of the CEDEF headquarters since its founding. His second-in-command had been very confused, but did as ordered without asking any question as usual. By the time Hibari had returned from his mission five hours later (the mission had been local), Kusakabe had commandeered one of the spare rooms in the Foundation's base and set up shop.

Kusakabe had acquired both digital and physical blueprints whenever possible, and had set them all up in the unused office. Hibari swiftly dismissed his second-in-command with a nod of acknowledgement and gratitude, along with the mission report he'd written on the way back and began to pour over the blueprints.

Alaude had first founded CEDEF in a building just a little off the town nearest to the Vongola estate. The same building had been used for the next few generations of CEDEF, before they moved  _into_ town, then finally, the business building they used today. The second building had long been torn down in place of modernization, but the original building was still preserved… in the form of the current Varia headquarters.

Hibari barely bat an eyebrow at the location. Once he had determined that what he likely needed was probably in that building, he gathered his equipment and strolled into Varia headquarters an hour later.

(The Foundation leader was pleasantly surprised to  _not_ be called into the omnivore's office for a tongue-lashing. Probably that annoying instincts of his again.)

* * *

_"What is this?"_ Alaude asked without preamble.

Hibari didn't answer. In fact, he hadn't even looked at Alaude once since he had summoned the former Cloud Guardian.

Once he had gathered all the information he needed, Hibari had collated the data in a rather thick leather-bound journal he had found lying around (something that he had, according to Kusakabe, apparently gotten in the Christmas draw last year). Then, on a whim, he had found some purple ribbon from from somewhere and tied it around the journal. He left the journal on the coffee table when he retreated back to his office, and started on the backlog paperwork the little omnivore had been nagging about while he summoned the First Vongola Cloud Guardian.

Seeing as his successor wasn't going to speak any time soon (not that he is expected him to), Alaude pulled off the ribbon unexpectedly gently and flipped opened the journal. There was nothing on the first page, or the second, but third page onwards held somethings on it; usually a mix of photos and words. It was extremely subtle (to a point no normal person would have been able to notice), but Alaude's eyes had widened as he read. He stopped a couple of pages in, and quietly shut the journal.

He turned to Hibari, who, by now, had looked up from his paperwork to observe his predecessor.

" _When Primo had ended his reign, I, too, left, leaving much loose ends behind. For concluding these ends… I thank you, Cloud Guardian."_ Alaude spoke.

Hibari didn't answer, because there was no need to. He nodded just once, and then Alaude was gone, leather journal sitting on his coffee table once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Clarification: Hibari broke into Varia, found one of the many rooms that had been deleted off the blueprint over the years, broke in and found Alaude's old hidden records, then proceeded to hunt down what happened to the people Alaude had arrested/had been hunting. Yes, a lot of time machine abuse was involved.


	4. Day 3 ― Sweet Lightning

Lambo was proud to say he had grown up over the years.

That is to say, he didn't immediately throw a grenade in Reborn's direction when he gave his challenge and instead stomped out petulantly. (Not that the other Guardians didn't, but they were old enough to be extremely subtle about it.)

There was no way in hell he was getting that spoiled kid anything for Christmas.

No way at all.

Lambo tried to find something to give Lampo for Christmas.

He was aware that he had been throwing a tantrum when the challenge first came up, but he hadn't cared. Doing what that stupid hitman said is one thing, doing it for the spoiled kid living in his Vongola Ring was another. Hearing what Takeshi and Hibari did for the respective predecessors had made Lambo felt slightly guilty, but not enough to make him take action. Hearing what Gokudera and Ryohei were planning didn't do much either.

No, it was hearing what Chrome was trying to convince Mukuro to do that did it.

Because every single one of the Tenth Generation―Tsuna included―regarded Daemon Spade as an asshole of the highest order, and none of them ever fully forgave him (if at all) for what he had done to Chrome.  _Twice_.

And if Chrome had the heart to do something for someone who did what he did to her, then Lambo would truly be a petty child if he didn't do something for his own predecessor.

* * *

All that being said, deciding to find something for Lampo and actually finding something for Lampo were two entirely different matters.

What exactly do you give the son of the Lord of the Land, a spoiled man by all standards, anything satisfactory for Christmas? Lambo had said as much to Tsuna too, on the fifth day of the challenge (since he'd spent the first three sulking, and the fourth brainstorming but coming up empty). By then, Takeshi, Hibari and Ryohei had already completed their challenges, while Chrome and Mukuro were supposedly due to finish theirs that day. Tsuna and Gokudera were both close to finishing their preparations as well, leaving Lambo as the only one who doesn't have a concrete plan for Christmas.

"Lambo," The gentle voice of his adoptive brother came, drawing him out of his thoughts. "I know this sounds very cliché, but it's the thoughts that count."

The teenager was silent for a couple of minutes, before jumping off the couch. "Thanks, Tsuna-nii. I got it now." With a smile, he ran out of the Vongola Decimo's office and hunted down the things he needed.

* * *

_"What's all of this?"_

Lambo held off replying in favour of answering his office door, where a servant was holding up a silver tray holding a teapot and two cups. Lambo retrieved the tray, thanked the servant and shut the door behind him, rounding the couch to put the tray down on the side of the very occupied coffee table.

"Here," Lambo said, picking up a box of Belgium chocolates. "Bakadera picked this up when he was in Belgium for a mission. The tea is Lavender Earl Grey; Chrome-nii bought this for the Guardians to share."

Lampo looked highly suspicious (and also very confused), but picked up a piece anyway, popping it into his mouth. The chocolate melts in his mouth, but Lampo will insist with his forever-dead breath that he did not make a indecent noise at the taste (no matter what the security feeds say). He slowly savours the piece, before washing it down with the tea Lambo had poured out, humming at the taste of that too.

They continue that cycle for some time; Lambo introducing whatever sweets he's sharing, and they each take a piece, savouring it before taking a sip of the Lavender Earl Grey tea to wash down the remains.

"This one," Lambo says, lifting up a bag from the coffee desk, the last one they've yet to eat. "…is the best out of all of the sweets in my stash." He gestured at the sweets spread on the table before pulling out a plastic-wrapped candy from the bag. "This is grape candy, specially imported from Namimori by Tsuna-nii with help from Maman."

And just like that, Lampo understood. He'd already heard of the tenth generation's task from his fellow Guardians, but he hadn't thought of connecting this impromptu sweets sharing session with that until now. He fell quiet, unwrapping the candy with a careful gentle tug. He takes an even longer time to savour the sweet this time too. After all, if the brat was as protective of his sweets as Lampo himself was, then this was a rather grand gesture. He would be incredibly rude (an asshole, even) to mock the gift.

 _"This…"_ Lampo spoke, minutes later.  _"…is one of the best sweets I've tasted."_ He couldn't help but to add,  _"Not as good as the ones Primo bought me, of course, but close."_

Judging by the smile the kid was trying to hide, Lampo would say his successor didn't mind the jab at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Guardians (yes, Hibari included; he gets Kusakabe to deliver them) buy sweets for Lambo from wherever they end up on missions. Tsuna doesn't leave the country much, so he imports grape candy from Namimori. Sweets are serious business for Lambo, so sharing them is a Big Deal (yes, capitalization included).


	5. Day 4 ― Sunny Match

Like Yamamoto, Sasagawa Ryohei had known what he wanted to gift his predecessor right from the start.

Unlike Yamamoto, however, Ryohei's problem with his present was less of a  _'what'_  and more of a  _'should I even be doing this?'_.

Ryohei spent two entire days pondering over the answer to that question. On the third day, he went to Tsuna and explained what he wanted to do, and the brunet patiently gave his Hyper Intuition-enhanced advices and helpfully gave some suggestions on how he could proceed. On the same day, Ryohei made a trip down to Varia HQ and asked Lussuria for help ( _"I'll convince Tsuna to approve of your budget for this month if you do."_ ), spending the rest of the day preparing his gift.

He executed the plans on the fourth day.

* * *

Knuckle was extremely confused when he materialised into an empty office. He could still feel the signature of the Vongola Sun Ring, but it was moving away from the Sun Guardian's office. Knuckle immediately turned to follow, but stopped when he noticed a sheet of paper left on the office desk, addressed to him.

_Knuckle,_

_For Christmas, I'd like to give you an extreme offer. Follow me if you extremely wish to._

~~_(P.S.: Please follow. Master Pao Pao will extremely kill me if you don't.)_ ~~

_Extremely, Sasagawa Ryohei._

Knuckle was amused and confused, all at once, but nevertheless, he slipped out of the office and continued trailing after the Vongola Sun Ring's flame signature like a moth to a flame. Although the Vongola estate now was not exactly how he remembered it, the main mansion had stayed more or less faithful to the original designs.

That meant Knuckle recognised that Ryohei was leading them to the training rooms. The old training rooms, in particular. (Given the current Guardians'…  _tendencies_ , the Vongola Decimo had quickly ordered for new training rooms to be built as enforced as their engineers could make them, and had them placed underground, while still simultaneously enhancing the older training rooms.)

The flame signature had entered the very last training room (which was also one of the largest), passing right through the intermediate waiting-slash-preparation room and straight into the main training area. Still intrigued, but already starting to have an idea of what was happening, Knuckle followed on, pausing in the waiting-slash-preparation room, where another sheet of paper awaited him.

 _Knuckle_ ~~_-chan_ _,_ ~~

_I am_ ~~_extremely_ ~~ _challenging you to an official match. In the locker to your right, you will_ ~~_extremely_ ~~ _find equipments._

 _I will_ ~~_extremely_ ~~ _wait for ~~you~~_ _ ~~r lovely body~~_   _you_ _inside._

 ~~_Love_ ~~ _Extremely,_ ~~_Mama Luss_ ~~ _Sasagwa_

For a long while, Knuckle stood completely still, staring at the note left for him. He knew what his successor was offering, and while he wasn't sure what he thought of that, but more than that, the note was rather… intriguing (read: terrifying). Knuckle quickly and wisely dismissed that as the quirks of the current generation of Vongola (God knows how insane this generation was) and turned to the actual matter at hand.

While Knuckle very much wanted to take the offer presented to him, the circumstances that led him to who he was today as still fresh in his mind, as though it was only yesterday. He was well aware that Ryohei was a professional, of course, but so was the man he ki— permanently knocked out.

Still, the thought of a good challenge was too tempting to ignore, and despite his conflicting reluctance, Knuckle made his way to the locker on his right ―or rather, the  _row_  of lockers to his right. One of the locker door was left ajar, while the rest looked firmly locked, so Knuckle rightly assumed that that was the locker he needed. When the pulled the door open fully, Knuckle found yet another sheet of paper stuck to the inside of the door.

_Knuckle,_

~~_Mama_~~ _Lussuria (Varia Sun Guardian) is helping out as a referee_ and  _as medical back-up._

 _Just_ ~~_extremely_ ~~ _enjoy this._

_Extremely, Sasagawa Ryohei_

Knuckle couldn't help it; he laughed, loud and heartily. His successor had been aware of his concerns all along, and even did what he could to alleviate Knuckle of his concerns. He'd always known the 10th Vongola Sun Guardian was more thoughtful than he looked―he  _was_  the "older brother" of most of the Guardians, after all―but seeing it in action, directed at  _himself_  made Knuckle feel rather comforted.

With a small smile, and eyes lit with the tiniest bit of burning excitement, Knuckle began to prepare himself for the match. After all, he had already put his trust in his successor when he approved of his Inheritance; he was certain that he could trust Ryohei this time too.

Minutes later, properly equipped, Knuckle stepped into the training room with a wide grin.


	6. Day 5 ― Misty Reminiscence

Neither Chrome nor Mukuro were surprised when a summon came for them a mere three hours after the meeting Reborn had called for disbanded.

" _You don't have to do it."_ Tsuna had said without preamble. _"Just leave it alone; I'll deal with Reborn. He can't expect you to do something for_ him _, and if he_ does _, I'll convince him otherwise. As he so often likes to remind me, I_ am _Vongola Decimo, and therefore his boss."_

Mukuro had muttered something under his breath, rolled his eyes, turned and left, but Chrome had stayed, staring thoughtfully at the carpeted ground. After a while, she finally looked up and quietly declared her intentions to follow through the challenge.

" _You're not obligated to."_ Tsuna had replied, but when it became apparent that Chrome was determined, he nodded once and relented. _"I have to point out that since you're both my Mist Guardians, Reborn will expect Mukuro to participate as well. You are welcomed to rub it in his face that Kyoya already finished his challenge."_

Chrome smiled, bowed, and left the office.

* * *

Given the nature of their challenge, and the recipient of their 'gift', Chrome was rather surprised to see Mukuro at his own desk when she entered their shared office after leaving Tsuna's.

"In hindsight," Mukuro started in a smooth drawl. "Leaving you in the hands of Tsunayoshi while I was in my indisposed phase was a rather terrible decision." The illusionist sighed as Chrome quietly closed the door and sat down on one of the two leather couches in the office. "Who would have thought that stubbornness was contagious?" He continued, sighing dramatically as he circled his desk and strolled to the couches, sitting down on the coffee table in front of Chrome. Then, mismatched eyes softened, and a rare fond look lit his face. "You are now strong enough to stand up for what you want and believe in, even if it's myself or Tsunayoshi on the other side." Mukuro murmured.

"Only for the things that matter." Chrome replied quietly. "Mukuro-sama, I―"

"If it were up to me, I'd find a way to bring him back just so I can kill him myself. And maybe, if I'm feeling generous, I'll bring him back again just to let the others have a go." Mukuro interrupted. "But I suppose that wouldn't be considered a passable Christmas gift." For a brief moment, the illusionist almost looked like he was sulking.

Chrome smiled widely. "Thank you, Mukuro-sama."

"Oh, don't thank me, my dear Chrome-chan." Mukuro replied. "I'm merely doing this because the Arcobaleno is rather annoying to deal with, and not to mention I wouldn't put it past that puppy to use the fact that that skylark finished it already against us… or, well, _me_."

Much to Mukuro's chagrin, Chrome didn't stop giggling for a good while.

* * *

" _Well, this is a surprise."_ Daemon said as he appeared in the Mist Guardians' office. _"I certainly did not expect to be included in the festivities."_

If it weren't because Chrome was present and was tugging very gently on his jacket sleeve, Mukuro would have been more than happy to break into a gloriously explicit description of what his idea of a Christmas gift for Daemon.

"Here…" Chrome said quietly, holding out a medium-sized box, wrapped in plain indigo wrapping paper and a lavender purple ribbon. Instead of handing it over, however, Chrome gently put it down on the coffee table, where a silver tray holding a pot of tea sat. "We'll leave you to it."

With that said, Chrome crossed the room, gently yet firmly pulling a disgruntled Mukuro with her.

" _Wait."_ Daemon called out before they could leave the room. _"I suppose this is your idea."_ He said, glancing directly at Chrome, who nodded meekly. _"…I see. There was absolutely no reason nor need for you to do so, yet you still did. Why?"_

Chrome was silent for a long while. "You love her."

It wasn't an answer Daemon expected―not that he knew what he had expected. Nevertheless, he answered, _"I would burn the world to the ground for her."_ The _'and I have'_ was left unsaid.

"That's why." Chrome smiles, and the Mist Guardians leave the room, shutting the door behind them.

Daemon stared at the closed door, then at the wrapped gift, before moving to sit at the couch. He pulled off the ribbon with a tug, then removed the wrapping as carefully as he could.

Inside the present box sat a music box, and upon opening that, Daemon was slapped with a wave of nostalgia, for the music recorded in the box was none other than the music that had been playing when he first met Elena. For minutes, he simply sat there, listening to the music. When he finally recomposed himself, Daemon set the music box down and pulled out the small Mist Box sitting in the storage compartment. With a small burst of Mist flames, he unlocked it.

The light cleared, and Daemon's throat tightened painfully at the sight of a well-worn locket, and a battered, yet carefully preserved book. He lifted the locket with shaking hands, his sight beginning to blur when the locket opened and his Elena—sweet, _beautiful_ Elena—smiled back at him. Daemon swallowed tightly before turning to the book. He knew what it was, because both the locket and the book had been in his possession until his original body had died.

Daemon carefully grasped the locket in one hand, and sat back on the couch with the book in the other. Setting the music box to play once more, Daemon began to read.

_Dear Diary,_

_Today at the aristocrat's party, I met the most wonderful man. His name is Daemon Spade, and he's an aristocrat too. But, as cliché as this sounds, he is completely different…_


	7. Day 6 ― Shot in the Storm

Because the Mafia wasn't a very understanding bunch, Gokudera ended up having to help in a dispute between one of Vongola's allied Family and their rival. And as the Vongola Storm Guardian and Vongola Decimo's Right-Hand man, Gokudera also had to deal with organizing the annual Vongola Christmas party, among other issues, so he did not actually start his challenge preparation a few days later.

Fortunately, much like Yamamoto and Ryohei, Gokudera had known what he wanted to gift his predecessor right from the start. It was, in fact, an idea he'd been entertaining way before the challenge even came up, but hadn't had time to properly deal with.

Now, it seems, was the time.

* * *

As it turned out, however, Gokudera didn't have time to complete his challenge until Christmas Day itself―one of the few annual ceasefire days observed by the Mafia.

(Fortunately, while he wasn't able to properly enhance his gift, his gift was ready-to-go, so he was set from the start.)

The Storm Guardian only woke up when it was almost noon, nursing a mild hangover, and only stumbled into his office nearly two hours later. He took an hour or so to deal with some urgent paperwork before finally making his way down to the basement of the west wing. There, Gokudera entered a room that was very recently coded to his flame signature (and the Vongola Sky ring by default).

"Get out here, you old man." Gokudera called snappily.

" _What, you brat."_ G retorted testily.

The relationship between the Storm Guardians had never really improved over the years. While both of them acknowledged and respected each other's devotion and loyalty to their respective bosses, that was their only agreement, and the rest of their relationship was filled with nothing but snarking and arguing. Even Primo and Decimo, both known for their legendary patience, had both given up on them ever getting along.

"You already know about the Christmas thing." Gokudera started. "I don't have much to give you and it's not like you need much, so this is what I'm offering."

G quirked an eyebrow, then turned to glance at the room. _"A shooting range?"_

"My personal shooting range." Gokudera corrected. "When we first moved to Italy, Jyuudaime had this built for me. It combines a specialised shooting range and an archery range for both my bombs and bow. The walls are bombproof and flame-proof, and the range is entirely automated." He took in a deep breath, looked at his predecessor in the eyes, and continued, "Look. You've only been recorded to use two weapons; one is your personal handgun, modified by yourself over the years, and the other is the bow Primo gave you. And as the Storm Guardian sworn to protect your Sky, your weapons are important to you. I'm not going to sully that by offering you one. Therefore, I'm offering you this instead. This is all that I have. Take it or leave it."

G didn't speak for a long while. He took another look at the shooting range around them, then at his successor, who was currently looking calm and collected (but not managing to hide the hint of nervousness vibrating in his body). _"Why the archery range?"_ He asked finally. Gokudera looked baffled, so G clarified, _"Your Vongola Gear reverts to your initial bombing style. There is almost no need for you to use my archery anymore. So. Why the archery range?"_

"That's… because…" Gokudera mumbled, glancing to the side. A faint tint of pink coloured his cheeks. "Archery became a hobby of mine. It's relaxing. Jyuudaime knew I took to it as a form of leisure, so he had this built for me."

G blinked in surprise. He pushed down the urge to tease (since Gokudera looked very sincere) and instead asked, _"…How's your score, brat?"_

"Pretty good. And yes, that's on my own merit." Gokudera replied. "What, you want a match, old man?"

" _Hmph. I used my bow without the help of your fancy lens to help you aim. You're going down, brat."_

"We'll see, old man. We'll see."


	8. Day 7 ― Miracle of the Sky

Out of all of the 10th Generation Vongola Guardians, Sawada Tsunayoshi could confidently and proudly say that he respected and adored his predecessor the most.

The Storms got along shaky at best, the Lightnings and Clouds tended to ignore each other as much as possible, and the Mists… well, they didn't even require explaining. While the Rains and Suns got along rather well, often spending time together, they couldn't beat the Skies, who spent time together regularly, taking the time to talk and, sometimes, even train together.

Which is why, when Reborn issued the challenge, Tsuna didn't react with panic as he usually did, and instead, after worrying about certain members of his Guardians, began brainstorming over what he could possibly give a long-dead man who had trusted him and guided him.

At that moment, Tsuna swore that he was going to find Primo the best damn Christmas gift or die trying.

* * *

Between paperwork and chaos (now the story of his life), Tsuna only to find free time on Christmas Day. Sitting in his office, he huffed and gulped down the coffee (laced with a good slug of whiskey) as he reconsidered his gift.

The idea had come to him in the middle of an extremely boring with relatively new Famiglia that had been trying to butter their way into the Vongola alliance (they failed very thoroughly). It was an insane idea, even by Vongola's standards, but it had been _perfect_. When he returned from the meeting, he'd immediately began researching into the matter, calling up his fellow Skies _("Hahaha! Tsunayoshi-kun is always so entertaining!" "Well, since Primo had unlocked the Vongola Rings, you_ do _have excess its full power, but still…")_ , Talbot _("I'm a craftsman of weapons, Vongola Decimo.")_ and even Kawahira _("How interesting. I wish you good luck.")_ , but none had been able to provide any helpful information.

(Well, technically, the Sky Arcobaleno had implied that there was a possibility.)

His idea needed a very crucial collaborator, and he had called said collaborator in only that day. The same collaborator was now looking at him with a mixture of mild incredulousness and thoughtfulness, but had agreed, having a personal reason to help as well.

There was only five hours till the Christmas dinner, so Tsuna gathered his courage, prayed that Lady Luck (or rather, the universe) was on his side, and pulled the Mammon Chain off his Vongola Sky Ring.

* * *

With G returning to what they'd dubbed the 'Ring Space' an hour ago, Giotto was officially the only one who has yet to receive a gift from their successors, and the Vongola Primo was dying to find out what Decimo had planned for him. As all seven Vongola Rings had been covered with a Mammon Chain (which, apparently, had the ability to stop the rings' dwellers from looking into the living world), Giotto had entirely no idea what his successor had been up to.

Giotto was understandably excited (not that he'd shown it; he had a bit of a reputation to keep) when Tsuna finally summoned him into the office.

"I'm sure you already know about the Christmas challenge going around, Primo?" Tsuna asked. Giotto nodded, and the Vongola Decimo continued, "Well, that's good. I'm in the midst of preparing your gift, and I'd like to ask a favour of you."

" _Go on, Decimo."_

"It's nothing much, really." Tsuna smiled. "I just need you to take a seat, close your eyes and wait. Also, do not attempt to use your senses to attempt to find out what's going on. I've learned how to temporary tune out my Hyper Intuition and I know you definitely can do that too."

" _Alright, alright."_ Giotto smiled. _"I promise to wait quietly."_

"Thank you." Tsuna replied earnestly. "I'll just be next door, in the adjoining bedroom, and I'll be right back."

Giotto nodded, moving to sit at the couch back-facing the door that led into the spare bedroom (that Tsuna converted for when he was too tired to make his way back to his bedroom), and closed his eyes. He listened as Tsuna made his way into the spare bedroom, and then low conversations muffled by the shut bedroom door.

At that point, Giotto muted out his Hyper Intuition as promised, and waited while he let his mind wander. He was rather curious why Tsuna hadn't gotten his gift ready before calling him. Giotto doubted it was a blunder on Tsuna's side, which meant that the brunet had done it on purpose. Perhaps he had needed to use the Vongola Sky Ring for something? His curiosity was confirmed when he felt the flame signature of the ring flare up in the adjacent room, but Giotto let his senses dull again.

Vongola Primo didn't know how long he waited—it didn't feel very long though—until a voice that was definitely not Tsuna's (but felt distantly familiar) called out to him.

" _Giotto…?"_

The blond froze. He knew that voice, but it was a voice he hadn't heard for a very long time. It was a voice that should have been impossible to hear, but yet, he was hearing it right now. Slowly and disbelievingly, Giotto stood up and turned around. His breath hitched at the sight. _"…C… Cozarto…?"_

" _Giotto…!"_ His best friend, looking as young as the last he'd seen him in person, grinned back widely at him.

" _H-How…?"_ Giotto gasped, completely dumbfounded.

" _Your descendant is_ insane _, my dear friend."_ Cozarto laughed heartily.

It was then that Giotto noticed the _two_ figures standing behind Cozarto, under the door frame―one Sawada Tsunayoshi and Kozato Enma. The Vongola Decimo and Shimon Decimo were both looking several shades paler, and were even leaning on each other for support (else they both would have fallen), but both looking extremely satisfied.

" _Tsunayoshi? Shimon Decimo?"_ Giotto rounded the couch and strode over to the bedroom door, carefully examining the two bosses.

"We're fine, Primo." Tsuna smiled. "As it turned out, summoning someone from the dead―even in semi-corporeal form―takes a lot more energy than expected." He joked. "Nothing a good rest can't fix."

"I," Enma declared firmly. "Am going to sleep until next year."

Tsuna hummed his agreement and Giotto shook his head, smiling exasperatedly. _"I'm going to agree with Cozarto here. That was insane. I don't even know how you summoned him."_

"That just means my Guardians have finally succeeded in driving me off the deep end." Tsuna deadpanned. (Cozarto made a noise that sounded suspiciously like, _'What, yours too?'_ ) "As for the summoning thing…" Tsuna grinned mischievously. "That is for me to know, and you to hopefully never find out."

" _Decimo."_ Giotto called. _"I hope you realise that the only things you hide from me are things that you know I would disapprove."_

The grin fell. "A-Anyways," He deflected quickly. "Primo?"

" _What is it?"_

Tsuna smiled fondly, "Merry Christmas."


End file.
